To deploy a Django or FastAPI application with Docker, build an image that contains the application and its dependencies, then run it with production configuration using Docker Compose, a managed container service, or an orchestrator. A Dockerfile defines the image; the runtime supplies environment values, networking, persistent storage, restarts, and supporting services. Keep development settings out of production, and plan for framework-specific requirements such as Django’s static files and deployment checks.
1. Prepare the application for production
Keep production configuration separate from development configuration before building an image. The container does not make development defaults safe for public traffic.
Django
- Do not use
DEBUG=Truein production. StoreSECRET_KEYoutside source control and provide it as a runtime secret or environment value. - Set
ALLOWED_HOSTSto the hostnames the application should serve; do not leave host validation ambiguous. - Review HTTPS and related security settings for the actual TLS and proxy setup. Run
python manage.py check --deploywith the production settings module. - Do not use Django’s built-in
runserveras the production server. Django states that it is a lightweight development server and is not suitable for production (Django deployment guide). Choose a production WSGI or ASGI server according to the application’s interface and requirements. - Plan operational error reporting and performance configuration rather than assuming the container runtime supplies them.
FastAPI
Use a production invocation such as fastapi run, rather than a development reload workflow. If a TLS-terminating proxy sits in front of the app, configure proxy-header handling only for traffic arriving through the intended trusted proxy path; forwarded scheme information should not be trusted from arbitrary clients. See the FastAPI container deployment guide.
2. Build a Docker image
A typical Python image uses a base image, a working directory, dependency installation, application files, and an exec-form startup command. Keep the exact Python and package versions aligned with the project’s supported versions and image policy; documentation examples can change and are not universal prescriptions.
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- Create a
Dockerfilein the application directory. Choose an appropriate Python base image and set a working directory. - Copy dependency declarations such as
requirements.txtfirst, then install dependencies. Copying them before the application source lets Docker reuse the dependency-install build layer when only application code changes. - Copy the application code and define the startup command in exec form, for example
CMD ["fastapi", "run", "app/main.py", "--port", "80"]for an app whose entry point isapp/main.py. Adjust the module, port, and command to match the project. Exec form allows the process to receive container signals directly, supporting graceful shutdown. - Add a
.dockerignorefile to keep local-only material such as virtual environments, bytecode, and Git data out of the build context. Docker’s Django guide also demonstrates a multi-stage image with a builder and a smaller production runtime stage; use that pattern when it fits your dependencies and build process. - Build and tag the image using the project’s chosen image name and versioning convention, then publish it to the registry used by the deployment environment if needed.
Docker’s Django guide includes version- and tool-specific examples, including a multi-stage image. Adapt its base image, Python version, package manager, and registry steps rather than copying them without checking compatibility.
3. Choose where and how to run the container
Docker Compose can run an application and its related services on one server. For a larger or managed deployment, a cluster or cloud service can run the same container image. There is no universally best destination: compare who operates the host, how replicas and restarts are managed, and which services must persist data.
| Deployment pattern | Operations and control | Scaling and supporting services |
|---|---|---|
| Docker Compose on one server | You manage the server and production Compose configuration. It is a straightforward option for a simple single-server deployment. | Configure restarts and any needed application processes yourself. Add or connect services such as a database, logging, and persistent storage. |
| Orchestrator or managed container service | More of the scheduling and host management can be handled by the platform, while you remain responsible for application configuration and the service’s operational requirements. | Replication can be managed at the cluster or service level. FastAPI’s guide names Kubernetes, Swarm, Nomad, and cloud services that run container images as possible destinations, without ranking them. |
Account for TLS termination, monitoring, upgrades, memory, restart behavior, and security in either pattern. FastAPI’s guide notes that a sufficiently simple single-server deployment may instead use multiple worker processes in the container; choose between worker processes and platform-managed replicas based on operational needs rather than assuming one approach fits every app.
4. Configure production with Docker Compose
Use a base Compose definition for the services and layer a production Compose file over it. Docker’s production Compose guidance describes common production changes such as removing source-code bind mounts, setting production environment values and host ports, defining restart behavior, and adding services such as logging.
- Define the application image or build settings, production command, environment configuration, network, and required service dependencies in the Compose configuration.
- Provide confidential values through the deployment environment or an appropriate secrets mechanism; do not commit real credentials or Django secrets to the repository.
- Attach persistent storage where data must survive container replacement. A database may be a separate container service or an external managed service, depending on the deployment.
- Build and start the production services using the selected production Compose configuration. Verify that the app can reach its database and other dependencies, and that the public route and TLS setup behave as intended.
- For an application code release, rebuild and recreate the changed service. Docker documents this example for a service named
web:docker compose build web, followed bydocker compose up --no-deps -d web. Change the service name and Compose options to match the deployment.
The Docker Django guide shows PostgreSQL in a development Compose example, but a production database needs deliberate persistence and backup arrangements. A container’s writable filesystem is not a backup strategy.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.5. Handle Django static files and user uploads
Django static assets and user-uploaded media are different kinds of data. Static assets are collected into STATIC_ROOT; uploaded files require their own storage, backup, and safe-serving plan.
Quick Recap
- Configure
STATIC_ROOTfor the production deployment. - Run
python manage.py collectstaticwhen static assets change so Django gathers them into that location. - Serve the collected output through the application’s selected static-serving approach: the same server, a dedicated static server, or cloud storage/CDN. The appropriate option depends on the hosting arrangement; see Django’s static files deployment guide.
- Choose persistent storage for user uploads separately, and define how those files are backed up and served safely.
6. Verify the deployment before directing traffic
- For Django, run
python manage.py check --deployusing production settings and address its findings. - Confirm production secrets and host validation are configured,
DEBUGis disabled, and HTTPS behavior matches the real proxy and traffic path. - Check that the application starts with the intended production server and can reach its database and other dependencies.
- For Django, confirm collected static assets are served and uploaded media is stored independently of the disposable application container.
- Confirm restart behavior, logs or error reporting, and data backup procedures are in place for the selected host or platform.
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